‘Make It Yourself’: Home Sewing, Gender, and Culture, 1890–1930, by Sarah A. Gordon

Convertible, multiple and hidden: The inventive lives of women’s sport and activewear 1890–1940

“…To partake, women had to resist and often actively challenge prevailing ideas that many sports and physical activities are incompatible with their sex. They have been regularly ignored, trivialised or mocked for their lack of skill and strength (Constanzo, 2002;Gordon, 2007;Hargreaves, 2000). They were either prevented from participating due to concerns about their 'natural' biological limitations or encouraged towards more 'suitable' activities such as gymnastics, ballet and swimming which disciplined the body in private contained spaces and thought to better reflect women's alignment with grace over aggression or endurance (Parker, 2010).…”

“…And the fact that new forms of sport and active wear were considered 'only for play made them less of a threat to anyone who perceived them as challenging traditional women's styles' (Gordon, 2001, p. 25). This article builds on research on the history of women's sport about how women have always been active despite the barriers they faced and lack of surviving data (Burman, 2000;Campbell Warner, 2006;Constanzo, 2002;Gordon, 2001Gordon, , 2007Hargreaves, 1994Hargreaves, , 2000McCrone, 1988;Osborne & Skillen, 2010, 2020Parker, 2010). I approach this issue via a unique source of data -historic clothing patents from 1890 to 1940.…”